August 16, 2023 - Big Jim’s Run for Congress
We will continue this week with the saga of Alabama’s most colorful governor, the legendary Big Jim Folsom.
Jim Folsom, Jr. shared a story about his father’s early political life.
Big Jim always knew that he wanted to go into politics, so he jumped right in. His hometown of Elba in Coffee County was in the sprawling old third congressional district which encompassed the southeastern part of the state. It was referred to as the “Wiregrass” district.
The venerable and dignified Henry Steagall of Ozark had represented the Wiregrass district for 20 years when Big Jim decided to take him on. Steagall had become a powerful and well-known congressman. He was chairman of the House Banking Committee and had authored the famous Glass-Steagall Act, which revised national banking laws during FDR’s New Deal.
As you can imagine, Chairman Steagall enjoyed the fruits of his labors. He hobnobbed with New York bankers. The big banking lobbyists were wining and dining Steagall and taking him to Broadway shows. He was living the high life in Washington. When he came home to the Wiregrass, he wore Brooks Brothers suits even when he was quail hunting. You could say, and many did, that old Henry had lost touch with the folks in the Wiregrass.
The aloofness and “Washingtonitis” had created an opening for political challengers, and Big Jim was one of the four who challenged Stegall in 1936. All four of his opponents jumped on Steagall’s lifestyle. They accused him of living the grand life. They said he was not only eating pheasant under glass with New York bankers, but he was also cavorting with young girls in Washington.
In this era, Alabama politics was conducted mostly through campaign rallies in the courthouse square. Even in a small town, it was not unusual for 500 people, including many farmers in their overalls, to gather on the square during campaign season for a political rally. Every candidate for every office would show up to speak. The local candidates would talk and then the gubernatorial candidates, and then the Congressional candidates. They would draw straws to set the order in which they would speak. On this particular day, all of the candidates for Steagall’s seat were there as well as the congressman.
Every one of the challengers jumped on Steagall’s personal life. They lambasted his fine dining and especially harped on the old man’s fooling around with young women. Except for Big Jim, who was 26, all the other candidates were middle-aged. When it finally became Big Jim’s time to speak, he made it short and sweet. He said, “Folks, I’ve been listening to all my opponents talk about Mr. Steagall’s lifestyle in Washington, especially his liking and running with young women. Sounds like to me if that’s the job of a congressman in Washington, you ought to bring Old Henry home and send a young man up there to take his place. I believe I could do a better job with fine dining and young women. Y’all vote for me.”
Big Jim ran second to Steagall that year, but he carried that town.
In that same campaign, Big Jim was politicking down a dirt road in rural Geneva County. He stopped by a farmhouse at the end of the dirt road. The farmer and his wife visited with the young candidate. They gave young Jim Folsom several large glasses of buttermilk to drink while they sat on the porch and visited. Big Jim and the farmer bonded. The old farmer lamented that he wished somebody would pave his road so that he could get his produce to market no matter what the weather. Big Jim lost that race for Congress, but he never forgot that old farmer in Geneva County. When Big Jim became governor a decade later, the first dirt road he paved in his famous Farm-to-Market road building program was that one in Geneva County. It is called the Buttermilk Road.
Big Jim got a lot of things said about him on the campaign trail while he was governor, but he had a unique way of disarming and diminishing the effect of the mud being slung at him. He would rear back and tell his rural audiences, “My mama used to tell me that if someone threw mud at you and it landed on your new white starched shirt, you simply ignore it. Don’t try to wipe it off right away while it is still wet because if you do it will just smear all over your shirt. But if you ignore it and let it dry for a few days you can just thump it off.”
See you next week.
August 9, 2023 - Friends and Lawyers
We continue this week with our series of stories about Alabama’s most colorful governor, the legendary Big Jim Folsom.
Big Jim was a true politician, and he was not above straddling the fence, but at least he was honest about it. When asked a tough question about a complex or difficult issue, Ole Big Jim would simply look at the inquisitive reporter with a pensive thoughtful and serious look and say with a straight face, “Well you know some of my friends are for it and some of my friends are against it, and I’m always on the side of my friends.”
Big Jim had a real disdain for lawyers. He called them every name in the book. He especially criticized lawyers serving in the legislature, believing it was unconstitutional for them, as officers of the court, to serve in the legislative branch. He said lawyers belong in the judicial branch and if they wanted to be in politics, they ought to be judges since judges are elected in Alabama. He would rail against lawyers in the legislature every chance he got. He said they could not serve two masters. They can’t serve the Lord and the Devil. He called them two pocket lawyers.
In reality, he did not dislike all lawyers. A good many of his best friends were lawyers. Indeed, some of his best political friends and supporters were lawyers.
Former Governor John Patterson, who passed away last year at age 99, shared with me this next story about him and Big Jim.
During Big Jim’s second term, 1955-59, John Patterson was attorney general and succeeded Folsom as governor. On the surface, it appeared Folsom and Patterson did not like each other because Patterson was quick to condemn and prosecute some of Big Jim’s cronies. However, they did like each other and remained friends throughout their lives. Both were astute politicians.
During this time, the Interstate Highway Act was created by the Eisenhower administration. It was and still is the largest federal project ever undertaken. A good bit of federal money began to flow into the states, including Alabama, for development of the interstate system.
There were a good many Alabamians who did not want to give up their land for highways. Some had land that had been in their families for generations and their forefathers had admonished them never to sell the land. In those cases, the state and federal governments had to condemn the land and take it over by right of eminent domain. The legal maneuvering fell upon the state attorney general’s office, and the work was so overwhelming that the attorney general’s staff had to hire outside lawyers. This is and has always been a lucrative plan for lawyers. Patterson was delighted to get to put a good many of his legal brothers and political supporters on the state’s payroll as assistant attorney generals. These lawyers would make a lot of money on these projects.
One of the most expensive acquisitions was the purchase of the area in Jefferson County that today is known as “malfunction junction.” Forty acres of houses, including some very nice homes, were located in the path of the highway in the Norwood section of north Birmingham. The cost and legal fees were substantial.
Patterson hired a good many of his Birmingham legal buddies. He sent the contracts over to the governor’s office to be approved. The governor legally had to sign off on the contracts. A good amount of time had elapsed between Patterson sending his list of lawyers over and Big Jim signing off on them. Finally, Patterson went over to see Big Jim about his appointments. He said, “Governor, what’s the problem? We need to sign off on this work. It’s delaying the highway system from moving on in Alabama.”
Big Jim looked at Patterson and said, “John, you know that I have a lot of friends that are lawyers, too.” The Governor said, “I’ve got a deal for you. You name half of the lawyers and I’ll name half of the lawyers.” What could Patterson say? That’s the way it came down!
Big Jim believed in helping his friends.
See you next week.
August 2, 2023 - Siegelman Meets Big Jim
We are continuing this week with our summer series on Big Jim Folsom – Alabama’s most colorful governor.
Those of us who grew up in and around Alabama politics have coined a descriptive term for a person who is obsessed with seeking political office constantly and tirelessly without reservation or concern for their physical, mental or financial welfare. They will run for high elected office at all costs. The term we use to describe those people is named for the man who best exemplified that obsession, George Wallace. Therefore, someone who is driven by obsession to win high public office has the “George Wallace Syndrome.”
The Alabama baby boomer who was eaten up with the George Wallace Syndrome more than any other I know was Don Siegelman. Siegelman ran nonstop beginning from the time he was a student at the University of Alabama in the 1960’s. He was successful. He was President of the Student Government at Alabama and went on to become Alabama’s Secretary of State, Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor and finally his life’s dream of Governor.
There is an old political saying that you don’t ever want to get into a race with someone who wants it more than you and will out work you. Siegelman was never outworked. He was relentless and focused on the ultimate prize that many a young politician in Alabama aspired to and that’s the governor’s chair. He captured the brass ring.
Siegelman reminded me so much of George Wallace, he truly deserves the award for having the Wallace Syndrome. He and Wallace were so consumed with politics and being governor that neither one of them could tell you what they were eating when you had lunch with them. Eating was a sideline to any political discussion they were having and calling lunch. They ate because they had to eat to survive.
Siegelman was always a little more liberal than most Alabamians. Therefore, he grew up admiring the more progressive Alabama political icons. He admired our progressive New Deal Democrats, such as Lister Hill, John Sparkman, and Carl Elliott. However, the utmost idol for young liberal politicians of my era was James E. “Big Jim” Folsom. Big Jim was truly a progressive on fiscal and social issues.
Siegelman had a remarkedly similar career and educational background as Bill Clinton. Both were almost the same age, both received undergraduate degrees from their state universities, both left college and went to prestigious law schools – Clinton to Yale and Siegelman to Georgetown. They both went on to do postgraduate work at Oxford in England. Then they both started running for office right away. Clinton ran for Congress, then Governor of Arkansas. Siegelman ran for Secretary of State and then on up the Alabama political ladder to Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor.
As Siegelman was beginning his first foray into Alabama politics, I will share with you a funny story that I call the “Don Siegelman meets Big Jim story.”
Siegelman was campaigning hard all day for Secretary of State in early 1978 and wound up his day late in Cullman. Big Jim, in his later years camped out at a truck stop along the interstate in Cullman. Big Jim was drinking coffee and Siegelman spotted his lifelong hero and liberal idol, Big Jim, and went over to introduce himself. Siegelman gave Big Jim his spiel and what he was doing and how his campaign for Secretary of State was going. He gave Big Jim the story of his pedigree concerning all of his educational degrees: University of Alabama Student Government President, Georgetown Law School and Oxford in England.
Big Jim listened intently to the young politician and sipped on his coffee. Now, you have to realize that even though Big Jim was a progressive on fiscal and race matters, he was pretty down home when it came to country politics, patronage, and home spun talking to folks. Big Jim was also pretty pragmatic and plain spoken. He said, “Boy are you asking my advice about your campaign?” Siegelman said, “Sure I am Governor.” Big Jim said, “Well, first of all you need to change your name, ain’t nobody in Opp going to vote for some boy named Siegelman. First of all you can’t say it, secondly, it don’t sound like a good regular Alabama Baptist or Methodist name, and you better tell folks you went to school at Oxford High School in Calhoun County and not some place in England. Thirdly, don’t you know you can’t steal any money in that job?”
See you next week.
July 26, 2023 - Big Jim Folsom Alabama’s Most Uninhibited Governor
This week begins a four part series of stories surrounding Alabama’s most legendary colorful governor, James E. “Big Jim” Folsom.
Big Jim Folsom was the epitome of unbridled candidness. Late in his second term, he had been on a week-long trip to the Port City of Mobile with his buddies, but he had to come back to Montgomery to give a speech to the national convention of American Textile Manufacturers Association. It was a large and distinguished crowd of executives from all over the country and they were meeting in Alabama, so the governor was to give them his official welcoming speech.
While Big Jim was vacationing in Mobile, someone in his office had written him a nice speech. Big Jim had never seen the speech prior to getting up to address the audience. He started reading the speech and it sounded somewhat dry and full of statistics. Big Jim dutifully continued reading, “We want to welcome y’all to Alabama. Alabama is truly a textile state. We’ve got 200,000 people employed in the textile industry, and it means $40 million to our economy. We produce 4 million articles a week.” At that point, Big Jim looked up from reading and said, “I’ll be doggone, “I didn’t know that.”
An all-time favorite Big Jim story happened in the mid-1950s during his second term as governor, at the annual Southern Governors Conference. The assembled governors and other dignitaries were scheduled to be guests at a nearby U.S. Naval station to witness an air show. Big Jim had a reputation for enjoying libations. The governors were scheduled to gather at the waterfront at 6:00 a.m., and many doubted Big Jim would make it at that hour since he would have partied most of the night before. That was indeed the case, but nevertheless he arrived at the pier on time. It was obvious that he had not slept, he was still wearing the same suit and tie, he was unshaven, and his hair was askew, but he was raring to go.
The governors, dignitaries and aides were motored in small boats out to a huge aircraft carrier, which then sailed 125 to 200 miles offshore for a state of the art air show previously seen only by high-ranking naval officers and cabinet members. The sky was perfect, the sea was calm, it was a beautiful day. The crowd gathered on the flight deck. An admiral gave a glowing speech about the naval aviation and how important and accident free it had become. The admiral introduced the pilot, and then some enlisted men went through the crowd handing out earmuff devices to protect the observers’ hearing from the sound of the jet. Big Jim may have looked a little funnier than the rest of the governors in his earmuffs because of his size and dishevelment. He was six feet nine inches tall.
The airshow began. The jet got louder and louder as it whined down the airstrip and made a perfect takeoff. Then suddenly there was total silence. The jet flamed out, the engine quit running, the plane crashed into the water and was lost in the ocean. There was complete bedlam aboard the carrier. Sirens went off, divers prepared to enter the water and emergency helicopters prepared for takeoff. Then miraculously word came that the pilot had bailed out of the plane before it sank and was not injured. He was shaken up and wet but alive.
The crowd gave a rousing cheer of relief that the pilot’s life had been spared. By this time everyone had taken off their earmuffs except Big Jim, who was still standing on the deck with his earmuffs on and his mouth wide open in amazement. Folsom had been watching the scene in absolute astonishment. He could not believe his bloodshot eyes. Finally, he could contain himself no longer. Because he was still wearing his earmuffs, he did not realize how loud he was talking and in a voice, you could hear for miles, Big Jim boomed, “Admiral, if that ain’t a show I’ll kiss your ass.”
See you next week.
July 19, 2023 - If Alabama Loses Space Command, It Is Because We Lost Shelby
Make no mistake about it, the decision as to where the heralded National Space Command Headquarters will be located is political. If you think otherwise, you are politically naïve.
Senator Richard Shelby is the reason and only reason that the federal military officials even considered moving Space Command from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama in the first place, period. Folks, you are just beginning to see the impact Senator Shelby’s retirement meant to the State of Alabama.
Our freshman congressional members and even state and Huntsville leaders are continually referring to the results of a commission study that supposedly analyzed the qualifications and best locations for the Command Center and Huntsville was the best choice. Commissions and studies like that are created every day of the week by Washington’s most powerful senators to justify what they want to accomplish. Guess what, Shelby wanted the study to say that Huntsville was the place.
The bottom line is the only reason there was any consideration towards moving the facility from Colorado to Alabama was Richard Shelby, and the only reason that it might not be moving is because he is gone. I knew at the time of the announcement that Space Command Headquarters might move to Alabama, that if Shelby did not get it actually moved before he retired that it would probably never happen.
Our two new senators, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, do not have the power to impact the final decision on Space Command’s location. Seniority is omnipotent in the U.S. Senate. Britt is 99th out of 100 and Tuberville is 93rd. They have a vote and that is it. Huntsville even has a freshman congressman in Dale Strong. He is less than irrelevant as a new face in the 435 member House. It will be 10 years before they know he is even there. Strong and Britt have been in the House and Senate less than six months. If truth be known, with us having this little clout in Washington, I doubt that Huntsville is even on the radar screen for the headquarters.
Huntsville should not feel so badly about the Biden Administration leaving Space Command in Colorado, it was crumbs compared to what Shelby loaded Huntsville up with in the last decade anyway. This Space Command deal is more for prestige than it is for jobs and dollars. Shelby brought most of the high tech and aerospace dollars in the country to Huntsville, which is what matters. Much more importantly, he moved most of Washington to Huntsville, including the FBI Headquarters. Folks, that is real power. It is unlikely that Alabama or any other state in the nation will ever see the power wielded by Richard Shelby in the nation’s history.
King Shelby was more powerful than the President, whether it be Trump or Biden. As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Armed Services Appropriations, he called the shots when it came to the U.S. Military. When he spoke, the generals listened.
Unfortunately, when Britt and Tuberville speak, the military generals are cordial, but they could not care less what Britt and Tuberville say. In defense of Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, they are giving it their all as freshman senators.
The liberal writers in Alabama have castigated Tommy Tuberville for losing Space Command because of his position on abortion. He is no more the reason than Katie Britt or Dale Strong . All three are representatives of Alabama’s conservative Republican policy towards abortion.
The Biden administration is using this decision to win two political points. First of all, if you are a liberal Democratic president and Space Command is in a liberal Democratic state like Colorado, would you move it to one of the reddest Republican states in America? Secondly, Biden is promoting the notion that since conservative ruby red Alabama has enacted a very restrictive anti-abortion law that he is going to keep Space Command in Colorado. Most Democrats are for abortion on demand. He wins approval and points from both sides of the deal. By the way, he is running for reelection as a Democrat. That is Politics 101. Politics prevails, especially in an election year.
See you next week.
July 12, 2023 - Annual Legislative Session Successful
The recently completed Regular Session of the Alabama legislature was a success. It began on a high note and ended positively. Why? There was plenty of money to spend. Both the General Fund Budget and the Education Budget had historic amounts of money.
Most of the focus of the Session was on budgeting, as it should be, because that is the only constitutional mandate that the legislature is tasked with in the 105 day Regular Session.
Gov. Kay Ivey laid out her agenda in her State of the State address, then sent her proposed budget requests over to the legislature. The governor’s speech outlining her legislative agenda was about doing good things for education. However, her desires were vague and her ask list was long and wishful, like a kid’s Christmas wish list. It called for the state to give away the store. It was as though she was running for reelection which everyone knows she cannot do. Therefore, the veteran Senate treats her politely, but has relegated her to a lame duck status. The legislature has taken total control of the budgeting process, as they should do under the Constitution. The governor proposes and the legislature disposes. The days of a strong armed, powerful, omnipotent governor that controls both the Executive and Legislative Branches are over. The King George Wallace era is gone, probably forever.
The surplus in the Education Budget was enormous. How to spend this surplus became the focus of the entire session. There is a very accurate political assessment, that it is much more difficult to deal with a surplus budget than a lean or deficit budget. George Wallace told me about this same thing during his last term as governor when I was a freshman legislator.
Accolades go out to Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), Chairman of the Senate Education Finance and Taxation Committee and Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), Chairman of the House Education Ways and Means Committee. These two gentlemen essentially, singlehandedly wrote the Education Budget and did a masterful job. They were cognizant that what goes up has to come down. Therefore, they created several savings accounts and rainy day funds for the rainy days ahead, because they will come.
The Education Budget was an historic $11.5 billion. It gave increases for pre-kindergarten programs, school supplies, school nurses and a significant 2% cost of living salary increase to teachers and support personnel. All colleges and universities in the state received increased funding. Non-education entities were given money. There was $100 million for prison education.
The high profile aspects of the Education Budget windfall werea onetime rebate going back to taxpayers in November. Governor Ivey had wished for a $400 per person and $800 per couple rebate. However, the final result is $150 per person and $300 per married couple. Most legislators preferred eliminating the grocery tax or long-term tax cuts to this one-time check back in November.
The surprise in the Christmas stocking from the Education Budget surplus is the reduction on the state sales tax on groceries. Eliminating or reducing the state tax on groceries has been championed by Democrats for years, as the tax is regressive and hurts the state’s lowest income earners the hardest. However, the measure garnered Republican bipartisan support this year after 20 years and passed with an overwhelming vote in both Chambers. It is, however, a gradual reduction. The grocery tax would decrease 2% in two steps,with the tax being reduced 1% this year and another 1% percent new year, if the funds are available.
The state General Fund had a good year as well. The $3 billion General Fund was record shattering. The largest in history. The Chairmen, Senator Greg Albritton (R-Escambia) and Representative Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), oversaw a $159 million increase over the current year. The largest increases in the budget were in Medicaid by $69 million and Corrections by $59 million more.
State employees will see a 2% increase in pay, which will go into effect as the new fiscal year begins October 1. The legendary head of the Alabama State Employees Association, Mac McArthur, has quietly garnered state employees a cost of living raise, five out of the last six years.
See you next week.
July 5, 2023 - Political Potpourri
Even though it is not an election year, the Alabama political pot is heating up and beginning to boil as we celebrate the 4th of July, and the summer heat settles into the Heart of Dixie.
The 2024 candidates for some open state judicial posts have been stirring around all year, and also candidates for next year’s local elections are gearing up all over the state.
There has also arisen a surprise election in Alabama’s largest county. Imperial Jefferson County has a Special Election for a very important and pivotal county commission seat. Republican Steve Ammons vacated this seat to take the post as CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance. In every other county in the state, a vacant county commission seat is filled by appointment by the governor. However, Jefferson County has an unusual local amendment that calls for a Special Election. This local act does not only call for a normal special election, but renders a weird, wild west open no primary Special Election. It calls for a very quick, nonpartisan election similar to Louisiana. There are no party primaries and no party labels. Everybody and their brother can run, and the Jefferson County electorate has no way of knowing who they are, what they stand for, or their positions on anything. All you have to do is get 100 signatures and you are on the ballot. I am surprised that there are not 100 people running.
This race also has only a short window. People could start getting their 100 signatures around June first, and get this, the election is July 18. You are looking at an election in less than two weeks in the middle of the summer that only affects 20% of the population of Jefferson County. Folks, this one could very well break records for low voter turnout.
However, it is a very important and pivotal election for a seat that will determine the partisan makeup of the state’s largest county. The current makeup is two Republicans and two Democratic commissioners. Republicans had a 3-2 advantage with Ammons on the Commission. You would assume that the vacant Ammons’ seat would be filled by another Republican because it is made up of the most affluent enclaves in the state, which include Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, and silk stocking Hoover districts along the 280 corridor. However, as stated, there are no party labels by any candidate, no forums, and no time to campaign – only a list of names. The assumption is a Republican will win. However, the Homewood, Mountain Brook areas are one of the few enclaves of upscale, liberal do-gooder, white Democrats in the state.
It is imperative that the Republican Party in Jefferson County identify who their preferred Republican candidate is in this race and get out their vote. It appears that they may have done just that and have chosen Judge Mike Bolin. The election is just around the corner on July 18.
Justice Mike Bolin is like manna from Heaven for the Jefferson County Republicans. As the old saying goes, “he was at the right place at the right time.” Judge Bolin recently retired from the Alabama Supreme Court and has time on his hands, and this seat comes open.
Mike Bolin is one of the most respected and popular public servants in our state. He is also one of the most accomplished Jefferson County political figures of this era. He is Jefferson County through and through. He was born and raised in Homewood, went to college at Samford University and law school at Cumberland School of Law on Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood. He and his wife, who is also from Jefferson County, currently live in Vestavia.
Mike practiced law in Jefferson County for almost two decades, then was elected Probate Judge of Jefferson County where he served for 16 years. While serving as Probate Judge of Jefferson County, he was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court, where he served for 18 years. He is a man of upmost integrity. Jefferson County is fortunate to have him take on this task.
See you next week.
June 28, 2023 - Friends and Neighbors Politics
Last week I discussed young State Auditor Andrew Sorrell.
Recently, when I had him on my Montgomery television show, we discussed his successful race for State Auditor. He understands the golden rule of politics, “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” In his 2022 race, he raised an amazing, record breaking $714,000, and was able to outspend his opponents 7-to-1.
More impressively, he spent the 7-to-1 advantage prudently and wisely. He designed and produced his own television ads, which cut out a 20% distribution and production charge. The most impressive revelation was that he wisely used his personal campaign time in locales where he took advantage of friends and neighbors politics.
His opponent, Rusty Glover, had a very strong base of support in Mobile where he had been a state representative, state senator and taught school for years. Stan Cooke, his other opponent, was a well known preacher in Jefferson County. Therefore, he acknowledged that these two urban enclaves would vote for their native sons, which they did.
Sorrell realized that this left him as the only North Alabama candidate. He was from the Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Florence area and he worked the Tennessee Valley area as their boy. He carried the vote rich North Alabama. He also worked and cultivated the Wiregrass where there was no hometown candidate. He did well there, also, with the help of television.
In the runoff with Glover out, Sorrell swooped down to Mobile/Baldwin and garnered Glover’s votes and trounced Cooke in the runoff. What surprised me was that in 2022 the old “friends and neighbors premise” still prevailed and even more surprising that it existed in a low profile down ballot race.
I have been preaching and telling you about the pervasive friends and neighbors politics in Alabama for the last 20 years in my columns. When folks come to visit with me in anticipation of running a statewide race, I make them aware that it still exists, especially in the governor’s races. Those of us who are students of southern and Alabama politics attribute the highlighting of friends and neighbors theory to the brilliant southern political scientist Dr. V. O. Key, Jr.
In Dr. Key’s textbook, Southern Politics in State and Nation, written in 1948, he points out that friends and neighbors politics has existed in the south for decades. I am here to tell you that it still exists today.
What is friends and neighbors? It is simply a trend whereby folks will vote for someone from their neck of the woods. Alabamians will vote overwhelmingly for a candidate from their county and adjacent counties. When I taught Southern Politics to college classes, I would tell the students this habit of voting for the hometown boy in Alabama politics was so pervasive that if a candidate from their county or neck of the woods was running statewide and was a well-known drunk or crook they would vote for him. They might say, “I know ole Joe is a drunk or crook, but he’s my drunk or crook.”
You can look at every governor’s race the last 80 years and see our local friends and neighbors voting for the hometown candidate when you dive into the numbers. It is unmistakable.
Dr. Key illustrates it well, first in the 1946 races for governor, congress and U.S. senate. There was an open U.S. Senate when Roosevelt appointed our liberal senator, Hugo Black, to the Supreme Court. The congressman from the Tennessee Valley, John Sparkman, won the Senate Seat riding a 75% hometown vote from Madison and Morgan counties. That Tennessee Valley Congressional Seat was won by Scottsboro lawyer, Bob Jones, because he got an unheard of 97.8% of the vote in Jackson County.
In that same year, Big Jim Folsom won the 1946 governor’s race because he had two hometowns. Big Jim was born and raised near Elba in Coffee County but spent his adult life in Cullman in north Alabama. In that 1946 race, Big Jim garnered 72% in Cullman and 77% in Coffee in the first primary where his statewide average was 28% in the crowded field.
You can point to countless examples in all governor’s races since 1946. There are clearcut examples of localism and regionalism voting for the candidate from your neck of the woods. Friends and neighbors politics is still alive and well.
See you next week.
June 21, 2023 - Andrew Sorrell Good Start as State Auditor
Young Andrew Sorrell was sworn into office as the 41st State Auditor of Alabama in January.
In the early years of Alabama statehood, the State Auditor and State Treasurer were important positions in our 1819 political era. In those wilderness times of Jacksonian Democracy, it was not unusual for the treasurer and auditor to abscond with some of the fruits of the state coffers. There were no ethics laws at that time, and the old political maxim of “to the victor goes the spoils” prevailed.
There was a need for an honest man to carefully guard the nest. The posts of State Auditor, State Treasurer and Secretary of State were your only full-time public servants, who were actually full-time officials who came to the Capitol. The legislature only met every other year for three months and the governor was usually a Black Belt planter, who was more interested in running his plantation and considered his governor’s job as part time.
Less some of you are offended by the pronoun “he,” there were only male politicians. It would be 100 years later before women would even have the right to vote in America. Blacks were still slaves and would be given their freedom 45 years later in 1865, and the right to vote in Alabama 100 years after that in 1965. Therefore, in early years the Auditor was an important post.
In recent decades, the legislature evolved and became the important entity that the new 1901 Constitution intended. The legislature created the position of Examiner of Public Accounts. The legislature rightfully created the office because they appropriated the state funds, they wanted to have their accountant oversee their proper appropriations and accounting of state dollars.
Beginning three or four decades ago there became a rallying to do away with the State Auditor’s position. Some would say it was unnecessary and a waste of money. That balloon would never really get off the ground. The State Auditor’s office costs less than one percent of the State General Fund budget, and it is difficult to do away with a state constitutional office. Besides, someone or some office has to be in charge of keeping up with the state’s cars, desks, chairs and computers.
Andrew Sorrell seems to be the perfect fit for this statewide office. While some have used the post in recent years to demagogue and take positions on state matters that the State Auditor is not involved with to try to build name identification, Sorrell is honest, upright and appears to want to make the State Auditors job an important post as opposed to a demagogic stunt show.
Andrew Sorrell is only 37 years old. He has an attractive young family. Hannah, his wife, is a successful realtor in their home area of Muscle Shoals. Their daughter, Liberty, who is only two, became a TV star in Andrew’s campaign commercials last year. Andrew and Hannah currently bring her to political events around the state. She steals the show, as she did during the campaign. Liberty has been joined this month by a baby sister, Glory, born June 1.
Andrew Sorrell was 36 years old when elected Auditor last year. He served one four-year term in Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 through 2022. .
He ran an excellent campaign for Auditor in 2021-2022. He was able to raise $324,000 and loaned his campaign $393,000, which shows he has been successful in the private sector. This amount of money over $700,000, is unparalleled in this state Auditor’s race. He was able to smother and dwarf the campaigns of former State Senator Rusty Glover of Mobile and Reverend Stan Cooke of Jefferson County in the Republican Primary. Both Cooke and Glover had previously run and started with more name identification than Sorrell.
Sorrell ran a perfectly scripted modern campaign using both television and social media. He spent his money wisely and designed his own ads. He also worked the state tirelessly campaigning one-on-one for two years.
Andrew Sorrell is a very capable, bright star on the political scene in the Heart of Dixie. He is part of an interesting trend of a trio of superstars on the political horizon in Alabama – State Auditor Sorrell, Secretary of State Wes Allen and Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, who all served one four year term in the Alabama House of Representative before being elected statewide. The State House of Representatives seems to be the new launching pad for state political office.
See you next week.
June 14, 2023 - The Alabama Community College System
Sometimes overlooked and often unsung, Alabama’s community and technical colleges are on a roll. It is time they get the recognition they deserve as workhorses for the state’s economy.
There are 24 community and technical colleges in the state, located on 50 different campuses with over 130 service locations. This means every Alabamian reading these words is close to incredible education and training opportunities.
The colleges offer over 300 degrees and certifications, and award more than 30,000 credentials each year that show employers these students are serious about working.
More than 155,000 students are served by Alabama’s community colleges, and 95% of students live in Alabama. What is more, 71% choose to stay in Alabama after completing their studies. These students and alumni add an amazing $6.6 billion to Alabama’s economy each year, according to a report from Lightcast, a national firm that analyzes labor markets. Nearly 99,000 jobs in Alabama are generated or supported by Alabama’s community colleges, their students and alumni. To put it another way, that is one of every 27 jobs in the state.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Jimmy Baker, who took the helm of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) in 2017, innovative and transformational programs are in place that “build strong Alabama people who are willing to work and do what it takes to move the state forward,” as Baker puts it.
Among the most impressive is the Innovation Center, a division of the ACCS that brings together the state’s community colleges, businesses and industries. These partners deliver Skills for Success training for careers that employers say are most in demand but lack qualified Alabama workers to fill.
By working together with Alabama businesses and industries, the ACCS Innovation Center ensures Skills for Success training is perfectly aligned with the jobs that employers say they need to fill right away.
Since its launch, a little more than a year ago, more than 2,700 Alabamians have benefitted from Skills for Success training. The appeal to trainees – other than getting the skills needed for an in-demand job – is the training is offered at no cost to them.
It is free to trainees thanks to appropriations from the State Legislature and support from Gov. Kay Ivey, who has put a strong emphasis on workforce training. The Governor’s Success Plus initiative aims to add 500,000 Alabamians with postsecondary credentials to the state’s workforce by 2025. Rapid training from our community colleges will be key to reaching this important goal.
It is incredible to think that every Alabamian has the opportunity to receive no-cost training and become credentialed for jobs as bulldozer operators, fiber optic technicians, truck drivers and more, but that is the reality of today’s community college system in our state.
Chancellor Baker has wisely built a workforce training program around the skills that employers say they need in their workers. As a result, many students can walk right out of training and immediately into jobs that are waiting for someone with their exact skillset. The training is essentially “customized” for Alabama employers in desperate need of workers.
What is also innovative is how quickly Skills for Success training can be delivered. Part of each training course is offered online, with self-paced learning that can take place anywhere one can connect to the internet. Some have said they have completed the online training from their mobile phones over a few hours in the evening. When a trainee completes the online portion of the course, they then get hands-on training with qualified instructors at a nearby community college or some other regional location.
The average Skills for Success course can be completed in as little as two or three weeks. Any Alabamian can sign up for no-cost training and in less than a month have a community college credential that shows employers they have the skills and qualifications to do the job. With Skills for Success training, they are “job-ready” on day one for jobs that are in high demand throughout the state thanks to the forward-thinking leaders of the Alabama Community College System and the State Legislature.
See you next week.